Windows 8

Photos of the month - June 2011

It seems like just a few months ago we were reporting on the launch of Windows 7. But time and operating systems wait for no man, and this June Microsoft gave us the first look at Windows 7's successor, cunningly codenamed Windows 8.

According to Microsoft, Windows 8 will work on laptops, desktops and tablets, and will run on any computer that currently runs Windows 7.

Pictured above is Windows 8's start-up screen, showing how the image of the screen can be personalised.

Apple iOS 5 Notification Centre

And it wasn't just Microsoft announcing new offerings in June. At Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), held last month, the Mac maker took the wraps off a number of products including the latest version of the operating system for the iPad, iPhone and iPod, known as iOS 5.

Among the features new to the OS in its fifth iteration is Notification Center, a hub for notifications - such as missed calls and text messages - on the device. Users can also see a rundown of all their messages on the lock screen, including missed calls and app updates.

Apple iCloud launched by Steve Jobs

Also unveiled at Apple's WWDC was iCloud, Apple's cloud services offering for remotely storing and updating content across multiple Apple devices - iPhone, iPad and iPod touch - as well as Mac and PC desktops.

iCloud will take over the syncing of mail, contacts and calendars over multiple iOS devices, as well as ensuring content bought from Apple - books or music, for example - on one device is automatically pushed out to others.

iOS X Lion's conversation threading in Apple Mail 5

Rounding out the product announcements made at WWDC was the launch of the latest operating system for Macs, known as Lion.

As well as the introduction of full-screen apps, Launchpad - an overview of the apps running on your Mac - and easier server set-up, Lion has gained a conversation thread format similar to Gmail's for Apple Mail 5, shown above.

Apple's Final Cut Pro x

But that wasn't it for Apple product announcements in June - oh no. Apple was still to launch the latest version of its professional video-editing software, Final Cut Pro X.

The new Auditions feature in Final Cut Pro X lets users see how edits they've picked out work with the rest of a sequence. Users can select multiple clips for audition, then try each one out to see how it fits in, eventually picking the best one without having to rejig the work each time.

Acoustic chamber at Estec's test centre

From Apple's flying saucer to actual space exploration, silicon.com's sister site CNET went to take a look at the European Space Research and Technology Centre (Estec).

Pictured above is the acoustic chamber at Estec's test centre. It is employed to reproduce the noise made by rockets in order to evaluate whether satellites or other space-bound specimen can survive the intense sounds of a launch.

Open University Pervasive Interaction Lab tour

Some fascinating research came under the silicon.com microscope last month as senior reporter Natasha Lomas took a tour of the Open University's Pervasive Interaction Lab, which explores human computer interaction and how technology can shape and influence behaviour.

Pictured above is one of its projects called MusicJacket - which uses motion sensors and vibrotactile feedback to help a violin student adopt the correct posture and bow motion.

Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service using tablets

Mobile hardware also came in to play as Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service showed off some of the tablet computers it is using to better prepare firefighters for tackling blazes and other call-outs.

Firefighters in the service use terminals to pinpoint the location of fires and other incidents, and to learn about potential hazards - such as gas cannisters near a blaze or information on a chemical that has been spilled.

Pictured is a firefighter using mapping software on a mobile data terminal, which allows the crew to access information on the location of ongoing incidents.

RBS Marketplace PlayBook app

Also last month, investment bank RBS showed off the next iteration of its RBS Marketplace app for the BlackBerry PlayBook - pictured above - which puts personalised research data at the fingertips of its customers. The bank reckons tablets are a better device for reading this data than smartphones as research articles can be hundreds of pages long, making the slate's bigger screen a boon.

The updated app includes a Trends view feature which lets users see at a glance what other RBS customers have been reading and thereby judge whether an article is worth their time.

British Library iPad app

Tablet apps also cropped up as silicon.com looked at how the British Library is bringing classic books and lost treasures from the 19th century to the Apple iPad.

The British Library app will provide access to digitised versions of more than 60,000 books, complete with illustrations and sketches, with titles including classics such as Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and The Adventures of Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens.

This is an illustration from Excursions in Madeira and Porto Santo. The book charts the story of a voyage to Africa by Thomas Edward Bowdich in 1823.